It makes sense that a guy who plays for the Broncos would have a winning touch when it comes to horse racing.
Denver wide receiver Wes Welker walked away with $57,193.90 from a bet he made on the Kentucky Derby.
Wes Welker was having fun at the May 3 Kentucky Derby, handing out some of his bet winnings to other Churchill Downs attendees. Photo courtesy @ESPNNFL via @Jeff_Novak.
Welker was so thrilled with his big payout that he handed out $100 to other race attendees until stopped by a track police officer.
There's one problem, though. The folks at Churchill Downs say that the NFL player really won just $42,295.38.
The racetrack says a mechanical malfunction plus human error resulted in the five-digit overpayment. Churchill Downs officials sent a letter to "an individual believed to be a member of Wes Welker's group" who accepted the overpayment.
Good luck with that. Welker is not planning on giving back the $14,898.52.
"Yeah, get in line," Welker told NBC radio show host Dan Patrick. "I've heard about that. I've never heard of it actually happening, and supposedly my group got that. But we had no clue. They could have under-paid us and we wouldn't have known."
Under Kentucky Horse Racing Commission statutes, tracks are ultimately responsible for making up any lost money.
The famed horse track apparently is accepting its bad luck.
"At the end of the day, it's our mistake and we're not worried about the recovery," Churchill Downs spokesman Darren Rogers said. "We just hope they come back to Churchill Downs for next year's Derby with an extra $14,000 to burn."
The only downside for Welker is that he must pay taxes on his almost $15,000 bet overpayment.
You, too, will owe the Internal Revenue Service if you're lucky with bets on today's Preakness Stakes from Baltimore, the second crown in horse racing's Triple Crown, or any other wagers you make.
Good luck!
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